Air washer



July 18, 1933. R. Rl @ENTRY 1,918,531

AIR WASHER Filed Feb. 29, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet l 7A UH 7. .5E/v Tay Inventor Attorney R. R. GENTRY July 18, 1933.

AIR WASHER Filed Feb. 29, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor ,ALHH EFE/#Tr Attorney Patented July 18, 1933 UNITED STATES RALPH B. GENT'BY,

PATENT'. ort-'lcs orsr'onlm, wAsmNGroN, Assrouono 01m-mm1' 'ro @normak Y n. La. una. or sroxnm, wasnmofrorr `mwasmmf appnmmmea rem-nay as, ma. serial no. saam Washer is employed as an attachment tothe' carburetor and performs the functions of filtering the air and separating therefrom dust and other extraneous particles that might have a deleterious elfect upon the fuel charges supplied to the engine from the carburetor.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of an effective device used in connection with the air supply of the carburetor for the above purpose, and in carrying out my invention I employ a helicoid casing within which centrifugal force is utilizedl for separating coarse dust particles, or solids, from the whirling air currents. 'Porous and absorbent filtering elements, which'are pervious to the air currents, are also employed, for separating the finer particles of dust; and in addition I utilize oil, and capillar attraction for saturating or permeating the tering elements, to provide surfaces on which the separated particles are collected. v

The invention consists in certain novel combinations and arrangements of parts, involvin means responsive to pressure of the iniiowmg air currents, for carrying out the above purposes. In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated one complete example of the physical embodiment of my inventlon wherein the parts are combined according to one mode I have thus far devised for the practical application of the principles of my p d invention, but it will be understood that various changes and alterations may be made in the exemplifying structure, within the scope of my claims, without departing from the principles of my invention.

. Figure 1 1s an exterior view of the air l washer, according to `my invention, shown attached to a carburetor, and the latter is illustrated in dotted lines.

Figure 2 is a perspective view showing details of construct-ion of a Y-shaped lter, mounted transversely of the washer casing,

vand showin-gl fastenihglor retaining` means therefor. 4

Figure 3 vis an enlarged detail view `of one of the connections to the washer, parts being shown lin section. v

Figure 4 is an enlarged, vertical, longitudinal section of the washer. g f v In order that thel utility-andthe general relation of parts of 'the washer may readily be understood I have shownin Figure 1, by

dotted lines, a conventional carburetor 1 from which leads the flexible, armored, air tube 2, which is secured by the attaching collar 3 and bolt 4 to the outlet nozzle 5, yat'one side of the washer, and it will be understood that the filtered or. washed air passes lthroughl the flexible air tube to the carburetor for mixture with the fuel charge. l

The washer as a whole comprises two separable parts, as the lower oiltank and the upper separating casing 7 and the adjoining edges of these separable parts are provided with complementary vflanges 8 and 9, with a gasket 10 between them to insure an airtight and liquid tight joint. The separable casin and tank aresecured together by means o a suitable number of eye-bolts 11 pivotally suspended at -12 to the casing, and the bolts co-act with slotted brackets 13 riveted to the tank walls. The bolts are secured pgrent that when the nuts are loosened, the

lts may be swung clear of the slotted brackets to permit drop ing of the tank for the purpose of replenis ing the oil supply therein, and for cleaning or replacing the filter a s. v

At the 'top of the casing a looped strap 15 is secured, andthe bolt 16 threaded in the strap may be used for fastening the washer on a bracket 17 that is supported from an appropriate part of the motor with which the carbureter is employed.

.Air` enters the casin through the intake port 18 which is locate at the top of the caslng and to the rear thereof, and the air curv rents ma be created by suction from the ene, or y blasts from the fan that is usualy employed for cooling the motor, as well as by currents of air created `by a traveling automotive vehicle. In the latter instance, the air currents may be directed through the intake port by the use of an adjustableintake plate or cowl 19 that is slotted to fit over a clamp bolt 20. The bolt is secured in the casing wall, and a clamp nut a is einployed on the bolt to secure the cowl in adjusted position, so that the air currents striking the cowl may be deflected downwardly to and through the intake port 18 of the casing. If the forced draft is not desired, the cowl 19 may be lowered to position where it will be inactive, and the suction -from the engine is then utilized for drawing\air into the intake port.

The interior of the casing is provided'with a helicoid formation to insure a tortuous-` or helical passage of the air currents through the washer from the intake port 18 to the outlet port 5 at the side of the casing and the whirling air currents, by centrifugal force, separate the heavier particles of dust from the air during their passage through the washer.

The upper part of the casing 7 as shown is of semi-circular shape, and the outer, front wall of the casing mer es with a curved, 'interior partition 21, which is spaced from the complementary back wall 21a of the casing to form a passage from the intake port to the oil tank. The partition 21 terminates at the bottom of the casing, just above its joint with the oil tank, and at the lower end of the partition a flexible, resilient, detlector plate 22 is supported and attached at its upper endv at 23 to the partition. This defiector plate extends transversely ofthe intake passage and projects downwardly into the oil tank, and the lower end of the plate is fashioned with an angular flan e 24 projecting toward the front of the washer. The deflector plate due to its resiliency and formation, projects into the intake passage, but it is responsive to air pressure, and under required ressure the plate is pushed at against the lbwer end of the partition 21. `During highspeed driving of an. automotive vehicle and under a maximum suction, the air currents drawn through the intake port and passage are sullicient to flex the plate and increase the area of the intake passage, but under less pressure, the delector plate or regulator plate, due to its resiliency, swings out automatically to decrease the cross area of the intake passage.

In Figure 4 the arrows indicate the direction and movement of the air currents through the casing, and the latter is provided with an interior inverted U-sha ed-partition 25 partially surrounding the si e, outlet port 5, and concentric with the front wall of the casing and its large interior partition 21. The rear en d wall of the inverted U-shaped vartition projects sli htl into the oil tank, ut the front end w51 oiy this partition terminatesA just above-the bottom edge of the casing.

On the front end wall of the inverted U- shaped partition a second delector or vre ulator plate 26 is attached at 27 and provi ed with an angular lange 28 depending into the upper portion of the oil tank. This regulator plate,'although disposed in position reverse to that of the plate 22, performs the same functions as that plate 22, and is responsive to the varying degrees of pressure of the movin air currents.

v ithin the oil tank a Y-shaped, transversely disposed, partition and filter is located, and t is partition is built upon a reticulated or perforated frame 29, Y-shaped in cross section, and located in the tank so that its lower or vertical body-portion 30 is vertically alined with the rear end Wall of the inverted U- shaped partition 25 in the casing 7 The win s 31 and 32 diverge from the upper part of t isvertical body, the former to one side of the back wall of the U-shaped partition and the latter to the opposite side of the same back wall. This vertical body and the two Wings are built up, on the skeleton or reticulated frame, from felt, or other porous and absorbent material that is pervious to the'air currents, and which material, by capillary attraction will absorb oil from the bottom of the oil tank.

Thus the body and wings of this filter are saturated or permeated with oil, due to ca illary attraction, and as the air currents ow into the oil tank, some of the heavy particles fall directly into the oil contained in the bottom of the tank, other particles strike and stick to the oiled surface of the body filter 30,- and other particles impinge against and stick to the inclined face of the wing 3l of the filter.

Some of the air currents pass through the filter mat 30 and are filtered,lwhile other currents are filtered by passage through the pervious delector-mat 3l, which directs still other currents of air against the inner side of the partition 21.

In this manner the air currents are directed in a spiral or helical passage through the casing, and the centrifugal force created thereby tends to separate the heavier particles, which are dropped into the oil at the bottom of the tank.

The Y-filter is removable and replaceable so that it may be cleaned and returned to the tank for use, or a new iilter may be substituted `for a worn one. For this purpose the tank is provided with a pair of grooved, metallic holders 33 secured at op osite sides of the tank aga-inst the inner aces of its walls, and the opposite ends or edges of the body 30 of the Y-filter are slid down into these holders. The holders are fashioned with spring retaining lingers or blades 34, struck, or pressed from the metal of the holders, and

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they project through slots 35 in one wall of the holders, to bear against the face of the body 30 of the filter and retain it in position.

At the front ofthe oil tank a second filter pad or mat 37 is built u on its frame 38, and this mat is held in hol ers 39 similar to the holders 33. One edge of the mat projects into the oil in the tank, and due to capillary attraction, the mat absorbs oil for the purpose of collecting particles of dust that impinge a ainst the face of the mat near the end of tie helical passage.

The air currents also impinge against the under side of the wing 32 of the filter, as they zig-zag toward the outlet port 5, and particles of dust are caught on the face of the filter while some of the air currents pass through the win toward the port 5.

Havinnf thus ully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In an air-washer the combination with an oil tank, of a separable casing having an intake port and an outlet port and mounted on the tank, means for fastening the casing and tank, means Vwithin the washer forming a helicoid passage for air currents between the intake port and the outlet port, and said means including filters pervious to air and adapted to deflect the air currents.

2. The combination with an oil tank having a Y-shaped filtering partition therein, of a detachable casing mounted on said tank, said casing comprising a pair of inverted U- shaped, concentric walls, the inner wall having alinement with the body of the Y-shaped filter, an intake passage on the casing opening to the tank at one side of the filter, and an outlet passage in the casing opening from the other side of the filter.

3. In an air Washer the combination with an oil tank, of agseparable casing having an intake port and an outlet port, means in the casing and tank forming a helicoid passage for alr currents, said means includin filters impervious to air and adapted to de ect air currents, and a defiector plate mounted in the casing and responsive to pressure of air currents for diverting or de ecting the air currents.

4. In an air washer, the combination with an oil tank and a separable casing, and means in the washer forming a helical passage between an intake port in the casing and an outlet port, of an angular resilient defiector plate attached to the casin adjacent the inlet port and projecting into t e oil tank and responsive to pressure of air currents for varying the cross area of the passage.

5. In an air washer, the combination with an oil tank having a pair of opposed holders therein, a Y-shaped filter element of absorbent material and pervious to air mounted in said holders, and means for retaining the filter in the holders, of a separable casing mounted on the tank, and means in the casing' co-acting with the filter for forming a helicoid passage between an inlet and an outlet of the Washer.

6. In an air washer, the combination with an oil tank having a pair of opposed, grooved holders therein, a Y-shaped partition of absorbent material and pervious to air mounted in the holders, and resilient retaining fingers on the holders for said partition, o a casing mounted on the tank and having an inlet to said tank, said casing having a pair of inverted U-shaped partitions therein co-actng with the Y-partition to form a helicoid passage in the washer between said inlet and an outlet, and means adjacent the inlet responsive to air pressure for governing the cross area of the inlet.

RALPH R. GENTRY.

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